Hair drying device



May 23, 1967 G. w. COLLINS HAIR DRYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jam.

INVENTOR. GEORGE W. COLLINS Attorney May 23, 1967 G. w. COLLINS HAIR DRYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan.

INVENTOR GEORGE W. COLLINS mar- FiG 5 Attorney United States Patent 3,320,679 HAHR DRYING DEVICE George W. Collins, 5624 Whitsett Ave., North Hollywood, Calif. 91607 Filed .Ian. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 336,413 10 Claims. (Cl. 34-99) This invention relates to a hair drying device and more particularly to a hair drying device having a drying hood which directs dry, warm air directly against the hair While permitting adjustment of the hood position for the comfort of the patient.

Drying hoods which have been proposed for use with conditioned air have not provided for even distribution of the conditioned air over the entire surface of the hair for uniform drying. Also, such hoods have been clumsy to use and have not been adjustable to fit the customers head to insure maximum drying efficiency of the conditioned air.

The hair drying device of the present invention provides a drying hood connected to an air conditioning unit through a flexible conduit system which permits the drying hood to be precisely positioned around the hair. The hood projects over the seat on which the customer sits and is movable vertically and laterally relative to the seat for proper adjustment. The air is distributed to the hair through a perforated inner shell which surrounds the hair and is positioned close to the hair. A conditioned air manifold surrounds the shell and connects with the conduit system. After passing through the hair, the air enters a return passage having a circular inlet just below the bottom edge of the hood so that a minimum of atmospheric air is mixed with the return air. By returning the air to the air conditioning unit, the load on the unit can be decreased when the temperature and humidity of the returned air is more favorable than for that of atmospheric air.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hair drying device in which conditioned air is supplied from an air conditioning unit uniformly over the hair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair drying device having a hood which is adjustable with ilespect to the head to insure proper positioning of the A further object of the invention is to provide a hood for a hair drying device which has a perforated inner shell adjacent the hair .and surrounded by a manifold connected with conditioned air.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hood for a hair drying device in which the air leaving the hood enters the inlet to a return passage which is located around the lower edge of the hood.

These and other objects of the invention not specifical- 1y set forth above will become readily apparent from the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the hair drying device of the present invention showing the drying hood located above the customers seat.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section of the hair drying device showing the drying hood and adjustable support therefor.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 showing the interior of the drying hood.

FIGURE 4 is a partial vertical section, in the plane of FIGURE 2, illustrating the hinge connection of the hood to the vertical conduit leading to the air conditioning unit.

FIGURE 5 is a partial section, in the plane of FIG- URE 2, showing the horizontally adjustable support for the conduit leading to the air conditioning unit.

FIGURE 6 is a partial section, in the plane of FIG- URE 2, illustrating the coiled plate for adjusting the vertical position of the hood.

FIGURE 7 is a transverse vertical section along line 77 of FIGURE 5 showing the slidable horizontal mounting; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of a modification of the drying hood showing an annular manifold for return air.

The embodiment of the present invention chosen for purposes of illustration consists of a drying hood 10 positioned above a supporting base including a customers chair 11 having a seat 12, a seat back 13, a top panel 14, side panels 15 and arms 16. An air conditioning unit 17 is located within the chair 11 for supplying dry, warm conditioned air to the hood 10 but otherwise forms no part of the present invention. The condition of the air leaving the conditioning unit 17 can be adjusted to a low humidity and to a maximum temperature compatible with comfort so that fast drying of the hair can be accomplished. An air conditioning unit suitable for such operation is shown in my copending applioation 'Ser. No. 313,073, filed Oct. 1, 1963.

The conditioned air leaves the unit 17 through a flexible, corrugated passage 19 and the end of the passage is secured around a circular inlet port defining end 20 of a dome shaped intermediate member 21 by a bracket 22. The member 21 surrounds an inner shell member 24 to provide a manifold space 23 therebetween. The shell member 24 is in the shape of a partial sphere containing a multiple of small circular openings 25 and is supported by bottom plate 26 of member 21 Which contains a circular opening 27. The edge of opening 27 is integral with the lower edge of the shell 24 so that the head of the customer can be inserted into the interior space 28 of the inner shell through the opening 27. The outer edge 30 of bottom plate 26 is spaced from opening 27 in order to close the space 23 and direct the conditioned air through the opening 25. The front portion 23a of manifold 23 has the minimum Width and the rear portion 23b converges toward end 20.

An outer dome shaped member 35 surounds member 21 and has a lower Wall or bottom 36 spaced from bottom 26 of member 21 by a plurality of edge spacers 37. Bottom 36 has an opening aligned with the bottom opening 27 of shell member 24. The space 40 between members 21 and 35 and between bottom plates 26 and 36 comprises the return manifold for air leaving the space 28 within shell 24. The edges of the shell opening 27 and the underlying opening in bottom 36 define therebetween an inlet 41 to the space 40. The outer member 35 and its bottom plate 36 terminate in a square annular outlet port defining end 42 having a lower seating face which normally rests on the upper seating face of a flexible sealing material 43 contained in an enlarged end recess 44 of square conduit 45 (see FIGURE 4). A hinge 46 has portions connected to end 42 and to enlarged end 44 so that the complete hood It] can be rotated upwardly into the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 and thereafter dropped downwardly to a position of use around the head of a customer disposed on seat 12. During movement of the hood, the passage 19 will flex, as shown in FIGURE 4, and when the hood is in the down position, the return space 40 is in communication with return passage 46' located between conduit 45 and corrugated passage 19.

The end of conduit 45 fits snugly into the end of square conduit 47 which contains a thin sheet of spring metal 48 which is secured at its upper end to the interior of one side of conduit 47. The metal sheet 48 tends to roll up at the end 49 which engages and supports the end of conduit 45. By pushing downwardly on hood 10, the end 49 Will unroll until the downward force is removed and the end will thereafter support the hood in a lower position. When the hood 10 is lifted upwardly, the end 45 will roll up and follow the end of conduit until the lift force is removed so that the end 49 will thereafter support the hood in a raised position. Thus, the hood 10 can he fixed in a vertical position which will place the head of the customer snugly within space 28 after the hood is rotated down over the head about hinge 46. The passage 46' continues between conduit 47 and passage 19 and because of the thinness of sheet 48, no substantial leakage of return air to atmosphere will result between conduit 45 and 47.

The end of conduit 47 passes through a rectangular opening 54 in the top panel 14 of chair 11 and has a flange 55 secured by bolts 53 to one side of a flexible slide plate 56 at a location surrounding a circular opening 57 in the plate. A flexible corrugated conduit 58 is secured to the other side of the plate 56 around the opening 57 by bolts 53 to provide an extension of conduit 47 leading to the air conditioning unit 17. The conduit 19 extends through conduit 58 to. extend the return air passage 46 to the unit 17. The plate 56 extends across opening 54 and is supported at its edges by a pair of vertical panels 60 extending along opposite sides of opening 54 with the upper edge of each panel secured to top panel 14. Each panel contains a groove 61 which has a horizontal portion 62 under opening 54 and two' vertical end portions 63 and 64 and each groove 61 receives an edge of plate 56. Since the conduits 19 and 58 and plate 56 are flexible, the conduit 47 can be moved horizontally in opening 54 for adjustment of hood 10 relative to the head of the customer and the edges of plate 56 will move in grooves 61 to support the hood in its various adjusted positions.

In operation of the hair drying device, the customer is first seated in chair 11 and the hood 10 is adjusted above the head of the customer by moving conduit 45 within conduit 47. The hood is then positioned horizontally over the head of the customer by movement of flexible sheet 56 which supports conduit 47. Thereafter, the hood is lowered into drying position over the head of the customer. At any time after adjustment, the hood can be easily removed from'the head by rotation about the hinge 46 so that the customer can leave the chair and return without the necessity of further adjustment. With the unit 17 in operation, dry warm air received in manifold 23 from passage 19 surrounds the inner shell 24 adjacent the hair and the air moves uniformly against the hair through the many openings 25 uniformly distributed in shell 24. Thus, the hair will be dried uniformly because of the even distribution of air and because the hood 10 can be uniformly positioned around the head by use of the various position adjustments. Also, because of the uniform positioningof the hood over the head, the maximum amount of air leaving the inner shell will enter the return inlet 41 for reconditioning in unit 17. The fan in the unit 17 will serve to draw the air into the inlet 41.

A modification of the hood is shownin FIGURE 8 wherein the outer member 35 is replaced by an annular return manifold 70 formed by bottom plate 36 and an outer shell 71 extending around the lower portion of member 21. The shell 71 is shaped to connect'with hinge 46 and conduit 45 in the same manner as member 35. Thisform of the invention requires less material and is lighter. While it is preferable to return the discharge air to the conditioner unit, the outer member 35 could be eliminated so that the air would discharge directly to atmosphere. It is also apparent that the adjustable connections for supporting the hood can be variedtwhile providing the same degrees of movement of the hood. Various other modifications are contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A hair drying device utilizing conditioned air from an air conditioning unit comprising:

a hood support including a horizontal slide plate mounted for edgewise movement; a hood having a cavity for receiving a head of hair;

means mounting said hood on said support above said slide plate for horizontal movement with said plate;

a flexible conduit secured to the underside and extending downwardly from said slide plate; and

there being passage means communicating said hood cavity and conduit through an opening in said slide plate.

2. A hair drying device according to claim 1 wherein:

said hood mounting means comprise hinge means supporting said hood for vertical swinging movement between a lower position of use and an upper retracted position;

said hood and hood support have confronting seating faces which engage to vertically support said hood when the latter occupies said position of use;

said passage means opening through said seating faces,

respectively; and

said seating faces when disposed in seating contact providing a substantially airtight seal about said passage means.

3. A hair drying device according to claim 2 wherein:

said passage means comprise return passage means for conveying air from the said cavity to said conditioning unit; and

flexible conduit means secured to said hood in communication with said cavity and extending downwardly from said hood through said'passage means for conveying conditioned air from said conditioning unit to said hood.

4. A hair drying device utilizing conditioned air from an air conditioning unit comprising:

a hood having an inner shell member defining a partial spherical cavity for receiving a head of hair and containing a plurality of openings; said inner member having a bottom opening for insertion of the hair into said cavity;

an intermediate member surrounding said inner memher and spaced therefrom to form a closed manifold space-completely surrounding said inner member;

passage means for directing dry warm air from said conditioning unit to said manifold space at a location to one side of said cavity, said air passing through all of said openings into contact with said hair for uniformly drying said hair;

an outer member positioned around said intermediate member and spaced therefrom to form a return manifold for air leaving the hair through said bottom opening; and

conduit means surrounding said passage means for providing a return passage therebetween for the return air, said conduit means comprising a flexible conduit section and a rigid conduit section connected end to end, and horizontally slidably means connected withlthe junction of said sections and supporting said hood for horizontal movement.

5. A hair drying device as defined in claim 4 wherein said rigid conduit section comprises a plurality of overlapped conduit sections slidable relative to one another, and means for holdingvsaid section in a selected relationship for providing a desired hoodheight.

6. A hair drying device as defined in claim 4 wherein said one side of conduit means is hinged to said outer member for pivotal movement of said hood away from said hair.

7. A hair drying device utilizing conditioned air from an air conditioning unit comprising:

a rigid hood having a normally bottom side, a forward cavity opening through'said bottom side for receiving a head of hair, and a rear bottom port opening through said bottom side and communicating with said cavity;

a supporting base below said hood;

upright hood supporting means rising from said base;

hinge means pivotally mounting said hood on the upper end of said supporting means for vertical swinging movement of said hood between a lower position of use and an upper retracted position about an axis located at the rear of said hood;

coacting means on said hood and supporting means for vertically supporting said hood in said position of use;

a flexible conduit extending generally vertically between said base and hood and secured at its upper end to said hood with the passage in said conduit communicating to said port for conducting conditioned air between said conditioning unit and hood;

the axis of said port being substantially vertical when said hood occupies said position of use, whereby the entire conduit portion between said hood and base is generally straight when said hood occupies said position of use and said conduit is vertically stretched and only slightly bent when said hood is raised to said retracted position.

8. A hair drying device according to claim 7 wherein:

said hood includes an annular bottom port communicating with said cavity and opening through said bottom side of said hood in surrounding relation to said flexible conduit;

means defining an annular passage surrounding said flexible conduit and opening at its upper end toward said annular port;

said coacting means comprise confronting seating faces on said hood and supporting means, respectively, which engage when said hood occupies said position of use, the seating face on said hood surrounding said annular port and the seating face on said supporting means surrounding the upper end of said annular passage;

said seating faces when in seating contact providing a substantially airtight seal between said annular port and said annular passage; and

one of said passages being an inlet passage for directing conditioned air from said conditioning unit to said hood and the other passage being a return passage for returning air from said hood to said conditioning unit.

9. A hair drying device according to claim 7 wherein:

said supporting means is vertically adjustable to vary the elevation of said hood; and

said entire conduit portion undergoes vertical elongation and contraction during vertical adjustment of said supporting means as Well as during swinging movement of said hood between said positions thereof.

10. A hair drying device according to claim 7 wherein:

said supporting means comprise horizontally adjustable means for adjusting said hood in the fore and aft direction relative to said base; and

said conduit undergoes lateral deflection during horizontal adjustment of said supporting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,004,488 6/1935 Kelley 3499 X 2,201,229 5/ 1940 Gross 3499 X 3,058,231 10/1962 Romito 34-99 X 3,082,540 3/1963 Hiltenbrand 34100 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,088,861 9/1954 France.

641,622 8/1950 Great Britain.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner. A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAIR DRYING DEVICE UTILIZING CONDITIONED AIR FROM AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT COMPRISING: A HOOD SUPPORT INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL SLIDE PLATE MOUNTED FOR EDGEWISE MOVEMENT; A HOOD HAVING A CAVITY FOR RECEIVING A HEAD OF HAIR; MEANS MOUNTING SAID HOOD ON SAID SUPPORT ABOVE SAID SLIDE PLATE FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT WITH SAID PLATE; A FLEXIBLE CONDUIT SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SLIDE PLATE; AND THERE BEING PASSAGE MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID HOOD CAVITY AND CONDUIT THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID SLIDE PLATE. 